


five times simon didn't speak his mind and the first time he did

by SpraceJunkie



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: 5+1 Things, M/M, Nobody Dies, Violence, anxiety attack, anyways i love my superhero dads more than life itself so take this cheesy fluff, but god using caps in a 5+1 title looks so bad, god i love my gay dads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, gun mention, hopefully i'll remember to add other characters to the tags as they show up jgjkshf, it pains me to not use caps in my title, thanks marissa meyer for my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-06 16:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18391793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpraceJunkie/pseuds/SpraceJunkie
Summary: Stars, Simon loved him. Hugh and his golden hair and golden ideas and passionate speeches to an audience of one. It was impossible not to be in love with when he was the way he was. The person he was.Defiantly good in a world that would have let him be bad so easily.Good. Brave.Impulsive, but the best person Simon knew.Currently frowning, eyes drifting closed. Drooling a little bit.A golden boy in an iron world.If only Simon could put any of that into words.





	1. Chapter 1

Anybody who said high school was the best four years of their life was definitely not a prodigy.

Technically, nothing about him was illegal. Years ago, before any of this started, the laws were passed that meant it was possible for a prodigy to be a person. For a prodigy to have a job and go to school and be a part of society.

At first, it had been going wrong in all the expected ways. Non-prodigies were scared of prodigies, even ones like Simon who weren’t dangerous. They didn’t want their kids to be in school with prodigies, didn’t want to work with prodigies, didn’t want to see their powers.

And then chaos erupted.

Anarchy erupted.

Ace Anarchy, with his bronze helmet and glinting eyes, standing on the ruins of a courthouse and declaring an end to that treatment. Lifting rubble into the wind and destroying every symbol of prodigy oppression.

And it spread. Across the country, across the world, until Gatlon was one dot on the map of growing chaos.

And the little improvement Simon had seen in his life since the laws were passed when he was three was gone in an instant.

And he was just a kid, flickering in and out of the visible light spectrum, listening to the teacher call his name over and over again.

“I’m here,” he responded every time.

“Absent again. He’ll have to see what the office wants to do with him.”

And like always, Simon silently pulled out his notebook and started paying attention. If he didn’t, he’d never learn, because they all pretended he didn’t exist. A few people looked at him sideways, but nobody talked to him. Nobody acknowledged him. He was invisible. He was a prodigy in a city run by the worst of them. And the only reason they let him sit in a desk and take notes was that he couldn’t hurt them. Not when he couldn't even control his own power, not really, and he was just a scrawny fifteen-year-old sitting in the corner of a classroom, hoping today was a day when they’d ignore him completely and not decide to hurt him.

In the last five years, attendance had thinned out.

Before Ace Anarchy took over, there had thousands of people in school. Now there were fourteen people in Simon’s science class, and that was his entire grade. And they were a big grade.

Most people had fallen into the new rules. Steal to eat, steal to live, fight your way to the top, there’s no such thing as stooping too low. Education wasn’t a priority anymore, and the only reason Simon was here was that he wanted desperately to believe that someday soon, the world would right itself.

When the bell rang, Simon’s notebook was full of notes and he’d copied down the homework and still, not a single person in the room had acknowledged him at all.

The walk home was terrifying, like it was every day.

Simon kept his eyes on the ground, clutching his books to his chest and refusing to look at anyone or anything he passed.

He was visible now, but he knew if he made eye contact and got scared he’d disappear and that was dangerous.

When he finally made it home, the door closed behind him and he sighed.

“Hey, Si.”

“Hi, Hugh.”

“Bad day?”

“Is there such thing as a good day of high school? I took notes for you, though.”

“I made food.” Hugh offered him a plate of pasta.

“Thanks.”

Like usual, they ended up sitting on the ratty couch in the basement, watching the news.

And, like usual, Hugh got antsier and antsier the longer they watched.

“Why doesn’t somebody do something?”

“Like what?”

“Like...like...I don’t know. _We_ could do something, Si, we have powers just like they do, we could _do_ something.”

“Hugh, we’re fifteen.”

“And I’m strong enough to take out tons of guys!”

“And I turn invisible when I blush, and not when I want to.”

“And I’m invincible!”

He was so ridiculously cute when he got worked up like this, talking so passionately about fixing the world.

He cared so much, and even though Simon knew he’d slump out of it in a few minutes and go back to watching the news silently, it was contagious.

They were kids. They, realistically, couldn’t do anything about the state of the world around them. But it was so easy to want to get sucked into Hugh’s delusions of grandeur, dreams of using their powers to be superheroes swooping in to save the day. To save the world.

Stars, Simon loved him. Hugh and his golden hair and golden ideas and passionate speeches to an audience of one. It was impossible not to be in love with when he was the way he was. The person he was.

Defiantly good in a world that would have let him be bad so easily.

Good. Brave.

Impulsive, but the best person Simon knew.

Currently frowning, eyes drifting closed. Drooling a little bit.

A golden boy in an iron world.

If only Simon could put any of that into words.


	2. Chapter 2

“Just concentrate.”

“I am, Hugh, I’ve been concentrating for an hour.” Simon blew his bangs off his face in frustration. “It’s not concentration that’s the issue.”

“What is?”

“That I have no idea how to do it!”

Hugh leaned back against the couch, frowning.

“It isn’t natural?”

“It’s like blushing, Hugh, I don’t control it at all. It just happens. It’d be like if you...I dunno, pooped metal. I can’t make myself do it.”

“Sometimes I poop metal.”

“Gross, Hugh, I was making a point.”

“So am I. It’s natural, you just have to notice what it feels like and make yourself feel it.”

“I can’t make myself feel emotions. That’s not how emotions work.”

“Not the emotions, the way it physically _feels_. Like this-” Hugh squinted in concentration and Simon watched a little chunk of chromium peel up from the wall and form into a coin.

“Isn’t that counterfeit?”

“It’s not a real coin, Si, and anyway what I made isn’t the point. I just had to focus on what it feels like when it happens and make myself feel that way. So what does it feel like?”

“When I go invisible?”

“Yes.”

“It feels like…”

Recently, it felt like the oh-so-present butterflies in his stomach when Hugh was too close. Or the embarrassment he felt when he caught himself staring at Hugh like some kind of damsel in distress looking at her knight in shining armor. Or the almost overwhelming fluttery, lovestruck feeling that took over every time Hugh slung an arm over his shoulder or fell asleep against his side. The feeling of being in love with his best (only) friend.

But he couldn’t say any of that. No sir, he did not want to unpack that bag with Hugh today.

So what did invisibility feel like when it wasn’t caused by Hugh?

“Anxiety.” He decided. “It feels like when somebody on the street pins me as a prodigy and comes at me. Or I guess when somebody comes at me at school.”

Hugh sat back, frowning.

“Oh.”

“Or embarrassment. Like if I trip or something.” Simon shrugged. “It’s a reaction.”

“I guess you don’t want to make yourself feel either of those things, huh?”

“Not particularly. What does it feel like when you do it?”

“I dunno how to describe it. Like I’m touching a live wire and a little bit of electricity is going through me.”

“Do you conduct electricity?”

“Probably. I don’t think it’s really electricity, though. Just energy.”

Hugh was studying Simon’s face. His forehead was crinkled in concentration, his eyebrows almost connecting in between his eyes. He looked so sincere. Like his biggest concern in life right now was figuring out how to teach Simon to control his gift.

Simon thought he was doing pretty well on that, considering he’d been staring at Hugh for about twenty minutes and he hadn’t faded from sight yet. Even when he started thinking about how perfectly clear and blue Hugh’s eyes were, and how the gray of his shirt made the lightness of his hair and eyes stand out so much and how cute he looked with that frown on his face and the strong shadows cast by the single light bulb that currently lit up the basement.

Maybe he couldn’t make himself go invisible on command yet, but he was definitely getting better at keeping himself visible.

“Okay. So invisibility comes with negative feelings?”

“Yeah.”

Sort of.

“So could you think about something that makes you embarrassed? Would that make you turn invisible?”

“Maybe?” Simon said doubtfully.

“Try it.”

Simon tried it. He tried to think of something embarrassing.

Last week in school he’d tripped coming up a flight of stairs. People saw, and he’d gone invisible, clutching his books to his chest and wishing nobody had seen it at all. It only gave them more things to tease him for.

He tried to remember exactly how that had felt.

It didn’t make him invisible.

So instead he focused on Hugh again. He let those fluttery, lovestruck feelings take over, and let himself fade away with them the way he’d been fighting since he and Hugh had come down to the basement almost two hours ago.

He watched his hand flicker out of sight, the green fabric of the couch showing through a little bit at a time until he was completely invisible.

And this time, while it was happening, he didn’t focus on the emotions behind it. Maybe they were what caused it, but he couldn’t really learn to bring on emotions. Hugh had described a physical feeling, and Simon had been pretty sure he didn’t have any of that.

But this time he noticed that he did. It wasn’t energy humming through him like Hugh had described. It was...quieter than that. More like the tingly feeling after a sneeze. Or the very end of a shiver, but across his whole body, running from his scalp down to his toes.

“There! You did it!”

“Kind of. Usually coming back from it is what’s hard.”

Simon concentrated on that feeling running down his spine. That was what his gift felt like. Not anxiety or embarrassment or being in love with Hugh, those things just triggered _this_ feeling. And _this_ feeling?

This he could work with, now that he’d noticed it.

He focused on it, focused on the thought of pulling it back up, out of his feet and legs, out of his arms and through his chest and breathing it out, like the exercises he’d been taught to use to help him through anxiety attacks.

He opened his eyes and looked down.

There he was. Pants and all. Not even translucent.

Hugh laughed.

“You did it all the way! Was that on purpose?”

“Yeah,” Simon said, starting to smile and looking up at Hugh, who was grinning wildly on the other end of the couch. “I did it on purpose. I made myself do that.”

Hugh laughed again and flung himself across the couch at Simon, hitting him hard and wrapping him in a tight hug.

“I told you so!” he laughed.

Simon felt the tickle running down his spine again with all the feelings that came with Hugh hugging him but he was able to stop it from spreading, to keep himself completely visible while he hugged Hugh back.

“Do it again! Practice!” Hugh let go and sat back, eyes sparkling.

Simon let himself go invisible again and then focused on breathing it away.

Gone and then back, just like that. On command.

Simon laughed and did it again.

Now that he could feel it, he knew what Hugh meant when he said it was natural, and now that it felt natural, he could just...do it. Just like that.

No emotions necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> april break is very good for my productivity I must say


	3. Chapter 3

Nighttime in Gatlon was the most terrifying time to be out and about.

Generally speaking, Simon stayed home until morning. At night, the gangs were even more active and more violent.

But it was also the best time to get medicine. During the day, medicine was kept under lock and key, and it cost an arm and a leg to get at it. Only hospitals had it, and they had armed guards. But at night, the security teams spread out. They thought it made them more efficient, able to see more ground and stop more people, but for somebody who could turn invisible?

A spread out security team might as well have been a nonexistent security team.

The first time he’d stolen, he’d felt bad. Stealing was wrong, he’d been taught that since he was a kid, even if it was to survive.

Now, stealing was something to be nervous about, but not to feel guilty for.

Hugh had had an ear infection for at least three weeks, probably longer. He tried to pretend he wasn’t in pain, but it was obvious it hurt pretty bad. And they couldn’t afford antibiotics.

This hospital shut off its power at night. Obviously, nobody stayed overnight. They either left healed or healing, or never left at all.

They also had a storage room full of medicine that used a manual lock, which Simon could get through.

It was dark, and almost silent, except for the distant thump of somebody boots and Simon’s quiet breathing. The lock was almost loose, and then all he would have to do was grab the medicine and go.

Easy.

The lock finally clicked open, and when Simon tried the knob, it turned.

The storage room was bigger than he expected, neatly labeled shelves that looked half empty. Simon exhaled and started reading labels.

Hugh was allergic to penicillin, so of course, that was the only antibiotic that seemed to be anywhere in the room.

“Penicillin, ibuprofen, Nexium…” he muttered, leaning close to the shelves to read the tiny labels in the dim light.

The footsteps were getting closer. He needed to hurry.

“Ciprofloxacin!” He grabbed the little bottle and turned to the door.

“Who’s there?”

That was not the voice of any of the regular brute-force security guards this hospital used. That was the voice of a woman Simon had never heard before.

She had a flashlight in her hand, shining into his eyes, keeping him from seeing her.

“This door was locked an hour ago, I know somebody is in here.”

Simon shifted back against a shelf, clutching the pill bottle tightly, never so grateful that his gift extended to small objects he was holding before.

The woman stepped forward, the flashlight’s beam moving away from Simon and deeper into the storage room.

Simon started to slowly move back towards the door, keeping his eyes on the woman as she stepped further and further back.

Once she looked away from where he was standing, he could tell it wasn’t a flashlight. The light was coming directly from her palm, stretched out in front of her.

A prodigy.

Shit.

“You know, it’s a lot easier to come and ask for medicine during the day.” She turned around again, and Simon shrank back to avoid being stepped on. “I promise. Legal, too. I know laws don’t mean much these days, but…”

She closed the door.

Double shit.

Invisibility didn’t let him walk through walls. Unless that door was open, he was stuck. And this room may have been bigger than he thought, but it wasn’t so big that she wouldn’t be able to get her hands on him eventually if he wasn’t able to get out of here soon.

“Now, I know you’re not stupid. You picked that lock, so you’re smart enough to do that, and you were looking for something specific since you didn’t just grab a ton of this stuff. Probably helping a family member, a friend, not looking to sell anything on the black market. You’re lucky it’s me who found you, not one of my pals out there, they tend to just shoot up a room when there’s a prodigy in here. And that’s what you are, isn’t it? Otherwise, I would have seen you by now.”

She kept moving her feet like she was walking as she drifted around the room, peering into the dark shelves to look for him.

“Invisibility, probably.”

Simon held his breath as she passed directly in front of him. He ducked as she reached out to straighten a box behind where his head had just been.

“Antibiotics?”

He needed a way to get out of here before she caught him.

“Who’s sick? Mom? Dad? Sibling? Spouse?”

The window. There was a small window behind one of the shelves. The lock was broken, so it would open.

It was on the third floor. Not an ideal fall. If he remembered correctly, there was a dumpster underneath the window, which would hopefully cushion the fall.

But he’d be going bruised at best tonight.

Slowly, he started creeping towards the wall with the window. It was at about head level, through one of the shelves, and looked just barely big enough for him to get through.

_Please, please, open quietly._

There weren’t any boxes or bottles in front of the window, probably so the little light it gave off could be used to help light the storage room during the day instead of wasting electricity. Simon carefully stepped up onto the shelf below the window, pushing himself forward as far as he could onto the shelf and starting to gently push at the window.

He silently thanked anyone or anything that might be some higher power over the universe when the window pushed open silently. Once it was open, he stopped bothering to be silent and pushed himself up and out as hard as he could, sliding through the window and bracing for the impact he was sure was coming.

He heard the prodigy woman shout something, and then he felt something grab him and he felt himself going up. Not down.

That wasn’t how physics was supposed to work.

“Why on Earth would you jump out of a third story window?” Was the first thing he heard when his feet hit solid ground again, at least a few minutes later. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet. “You’re lucky I was there, you idiot! That was thirty feet! You can die falling from half that!”

Simon opened his eyes and looked up at the person who’d saved him.

She was floating a couple of feet off the ground, looking down at him like he was stupid.

Another prodigy. Of course. That was why physics broke for a bit when he was falling.

“Who are you?”

“The person who just saved your ass, that’s who!” She dropped out of the air and landed in front of him, straightening her headscarf and crossing her arms. “Ugh, people are so stupid!” She stared him down, not quite glaring but not looking very happy either. “What did you steal?”

“What?”

“You’re holding something and you just jumped out of a window, so what did you steal?”

Simon opened his hand so she could see the single bottle of antibiotics he was holding.

“Medicine?”

“Yeah.”

“For who?”

“My friend.”

“You were willing to jump out of a window for your friend?” She said skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“What’s wrong with them?”

“He...has an ear infection?”

“You were willing to break into a Roach controlled hospital, steal antibiotics, and jump out of a third story window...for a friend with an ear infection?”

“Yeah?” Simon felt himself blushing, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. Hugh was his friend, and he was willing to do all of that for him.

“Stars, kid, how dumb are you?”

“I’m not a kid.”

“Turning eighteen doesn’t make you an adult, either.”

“And how old are you? Nineteen?” Simon crossed his own arms at her.

“Twenty.”

“Ooh, a whole two years, huge difference,” he said sarcastically.

“I’m also a prodigy.”

“So am I.”

“Oh yeah?”

Simon turned invisible and back, a stubborn frown on his face.

“How else do you think I got inside the Roach controlled hospital in the first place? And why were you outside the hospital if you weren’t also planning to steal something?”

“Because I was out helping people like you who jump out of third story windows.” She glared at him. “Who are you, anyway?”

“I asked you first and you never gave me an answer.”

“My name is Georgia. Now, who are you?”

“My name is Simon.”

“Simon…”

“You didn’t tell me your last name. Can I go now?”

“If you can get off this roof by yourself, sure.” 

Simon walked over to where he could a fire escape start and looked down.

Of course, it was missing like three ladders. Why wouldn’t a fire escape be missing pieces that made it useable?

“Can you let me down?” He amended, turning back to Georgia.

“If you give me a better explanation.”

“I turned invisible and stole medicine because my best friend whom I live with has an ear infection. A prodigy almost caught me so I jumped out of the window and you caught me.”

“And who is your best friend?”

“What, is this an interrogation?”

“Maybe.”

“His name is Hugh. And he’s invincible, has super strength, can manipulate metal, and will be upset if I don’t get home before he wakes up, so if you could help me down, that’d be great.”

Georgia narrowed her eyes.

“I’ll take you down if you let me take you home.”

“Excuse me? I don’t know what idea you’re getting from this conversation, but I don’t even like women, so-”

“Not like that, dummy, I want to meet this all-powerful Hugh.” She rolled her eyes and Simon blushed at his mistake.

“No.”

“Then I guess you’re stuck here.” She jumped up and started to ascend.

“Wait!” Simon called. “I’ll show you where we live if you take me down!”

“Thought so,” Georgia said smugly before grabbing Simon under the armpits and swooping them down to the ground. “Where do you live?”

“East and Seventh.”

“Ugh.” She picked him up again and dragged him high above the city, landing on the corner and looking at him expectantly.

“The blue one, there.”

There were lights on, which meant Hugh was awake, which meant Hugh knew he was gone, which meant Hugh was in the basement, pacing and waiting for him to come back.

And he was bringing a random prodigy who’d blackmailed? Was that the right word? Him into bringing her home.

“Simon! Where were you? I woke up and you were gone, you can’t just do that! Leave a note...or...or something! Who the fuck is that?” Hugh didn’t even notice Georgia until he was halfway hugging Simon, the worry on his face shifting into distrust and fear.

“Um...Hugh, Georgia. Georgia, Hugh.”

“I saved your boyfriend when he decided to jump out of a third-floor window.”

“You jumped out of a window?”

“Uh-huh.” Simon handed him the pill bottle. “You have medicine now though.”

“Thanks. You jumped out of a window?”

“And I caught him.”

“She can fly,” Simon said. “But she wouldn’t put me down if I didn’t bring her home.”

“You’re a prodigy?”

“Sure am.” Georgia drifted up off the floor and back down, showing off her power. “And so are both of you.”

“And what about it?”

Simon knew Hugh well enough to catch the shift in his body language as soon as Georgia brought up him being a prodigy. He was nervous she was one of the gang members that had been trying to get him to join a gang since the Age of Anarchy had started.

“Powerful ones. In control of your gifts. Who could make a difference.”

“A difference?”

“I have some friends I want you to meet. They’re the same as you. As us. Powerful prodigies who refuse to join a gang or be terrible. And I think we can make a difference.”

“Life isn’t a comic book,” Simon said, watching Hugh’s eyes light up when he heard somebody else say the things he’d been saying for years and hoping his arguments would work on her, too. “Okay? We might be good people, but we aren’t superheroes and we can’t do anything.”

“On our own, we couldn’t. I know three other people, that’s six people, and six people is a small gang! Only we wouldn’t be a gang like everyone else. We could help people. Stop crimes. Start a change. If people could see not every prodigy is bad, things would start to change.”

“No, they wouldn’t.”

“They might, Si. I’ve been saying that for years. Who are your friends?”

“Can I bring them here? Sometime soon, I’ll have to talk to them.”

“Of course!” Hugh said, any hint of distrust completely gone.

“I’ll try to let you know before I do.” Georgia grinned at Hugh, the first real smile Simon had seen on her face, and he felt a completely unreasonable surge of jealousy when Hugh grinned back, eyes sparkling and face open, a look that was usually saved for Simon.

She floated up the stairs and they heard the front door slam a few seconds later.

“I’ve been telling you for years, Simon, we have the tools to make a change!”

“We have, collectively, about twenty dollars, an anxiety disorder, and the ability to poop metal.”

“We have superpowers and a pessimist. Si, we have to hear them out.”

Even while his brain was telling him everything about it was a terrible idea, he wanted to believe Hugh. Like he always did. The speeches and belief in the power of goof got to him, and maybe the addition of the promise of four more prodigies made it more believable, but he really, really wanted to believe they _could_ make a difference.

“Thanks for the medicine, by the way.”

“You needed it.”

“You jumped out a third-story window for it.”

“Almost got caught. It’s all good.”

“She called me your boyfriend.” Hugh pointed out, smiling playfully.

“She did?”

“It was the first thing she said.”

“Oh.” Simon was working very hard to keep his face neutral and not reveal how that had made him feel. How his stomach had swooped in a combination of infatuation and panic when Georgia had called Hugh his boyfriend.

“I dunno, I bet we’d make a pretty cute couple.” Hugh joked. He didn’t mean it though, and he wasn’t even really looking at Simon. He was reading the pill bottle, trying to figure out how much to take.

Simon opened his mouth to agree, but couldn’t. Not when it was supposed to be a joke.

That would have been too close to the truth to be a joke, and he was sure something in his voice would have given it away. So he didn’t. He kept his mouth shut, just like always.

Because why would he hurt himself like that when it was easier to imagine a world in which Georgia’s words were true and he was dating the golden boy he’d been in love with for five years?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you two who have left comments on both chapters I love you and thank you so much! I love reading comments! And I love you! You're so nice sjgdkjgsjdg!


	4. Chapter 4

Patrol duty was split as evenly as they could between everyone in their little group.

For the first few months, everyone had gone out at night and they’d slept all day. The little house that had been just Hugh’s and Simon’s became the place everyone crashed at.

After a while, though, they realized that it was much more effective to go out in pairs and have at least one pair out and about at all times.

Three years into this endeavor, they had the schedule down to a science.

Simon had been the one to name them.

Renegades.

Renegades because in a world where people like them were expected to be one thing, they had made themselves something else. Renegades because in this insane, upside down world they lived in, doing good was out of the ordinary. Renegades because they refused to follow along with society when that would have been so easy.

Evander was the one who had made most of their costumes. He was really young when they started, only fifteen but so smart and very determined to be a force for good, but he wasn’t exactly old enough to be out fighting with them at first.

Simon hadn’t really been okay with it when he started going on patrols when he was sixteen. He was a kid, just a kid, he shouldn’t be dressing up and fighting people with guns, let alone the prodigies out there who could kill with much less than a weapon. But sixteen was better than fifteen, and he was eighteen now, so he couldn’t really be stopped.

And he was powerful. One snap of his fingers and an entire city block went so dark Simon didn’t need to use his gift to avoid being seen.

Or he could use his powers to make silent fireworks spiral in complex patterns over his head while bored on patrol.

“Show off.”

“You’re just jealous because you have a boring gift.”

“Invisibility isn’t boring. It’s useful.”

“Useful is just a word people use when they don’t want to admit something is boring. Like algebra. Or a dictionary.” Evander grinned at Simon and waved his hand, dispersing the fireworks. “Or invisibility.”

“I’m happy with my own powers. I don’t need to be a showoff to be content.”

Evander was very much the little brother of the group, including the good-natured fun making he liked to engage in with everyone else.

“Sure you don’t.” He laughed and flicked his fingers, sending a little spark of red light flying at Simon’s nose that made him go cross-eyed. “You just need Hugh’s adoring gaze on you in everything you do.”

“What?” Simon could feel himself flushing, and Evander laughed at him.

“Like there’s anybody who hasn’t noticed.”

“Noticed what?”

“How in love you guys are, obviously,” Evander said, still laughing. “C’mon, Si, you can’t possibly think you’re subtle?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Simon insisted, refusing to make eye contact.

“You want me to list? ‘Cause I can list, Si, any one of us can list. You stare at him. You go out of your way to spend more time with him than the rest of us. You defend his frankly terrible cooking. You’re blushing like crazy right now.”

“I am not!”

“You’re translucent and still so red you’re tinting the bricks.”

Simon looked down at himself and was slightly disappointed to see Evander was right, he was blushing so hard he’d started to go invisible. And it only happened involuntarily now when he was feeling something very, very strongly, and everyone knew it, so he couldn’t even deny it was a reaction to Evander.

“You’re not subtle, Simon.”

“Shut up, Vee.”

“Never. It’s fun to watch you squirm.”

“You’re such a brat.” Simon swatted at him, and he laughed some more.

“Hugh and Simon, sitting in a tree-”

“Finish that and I’ll push you off the roof!”

“You’d never.”

“Try me.”

Evander crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue, but turned back to watching the streets silently.

“You know he likes you back,” he said after a couple minutes’ blissful silence.

“Drop it, Evander.”

“You should just tell him.”

“Vee-”

“I’m serious, Simon, you should just tell him that you like him. Because he likes you too, and then we could all stop watching you pine for each other when you don’t need to.”

Simon didn’t respond.

Evander liked to tease. He liked to sing silly little songs and poke fun at everyone and that was all this was. He was making fun of Simon for being in love with Hugh. Maybe he wanted to see the awkwardness that would definitely come out of Simon telling Hugh how he felt, but he was teasing.

Because Hugh didn’t like Simon back. Why would he?

Hugh was the tall, blond, strong, perfect man who was impossible not to look up to. He was handsome and funny and compassionate and as close to perfect as anyone could be. He was confident and strong, both literally and figuratively.

And Simon was gangly and awkward. Hugh had a perfect curl in the middle of his forehead, Simon had a head full of curls that wouldn’t stay behind his ears or out of his eyes. Simon was goofy and anxious and still not even completely in control of his powers. He couldn’t ever really understand why Hugh was his friend, let alone even seriously consider Hugh wanting to be anything more than friends.

He was way too good for Simon.

“Something’s happening down there,” Evander said, leaning forward. “See it?”

“Jackals.” Simon pulled his mask down over his eyes and disappeared, slipping down the fire escape they were closest to with Evander right behind him.

This was what they were out here to do. Stop crime and start changing the world. Not talk about crushes and make fun of each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know how it ends but not the next chapter so sorry for what will probably be a slighter longer break. This one took a while to get right and it's short but oh well!
> 
> Come hang out on Tumblr or leave a comment or send a message really anything!


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a long time since Hugh and Simon had spent a night watching TV in the basement. Now it seemed like every night was either collapsing exhausted into bed after spending all day on the streets or spending all night out on the streets doing what they could.

In the five years since the Renegades had formed, they’d earned a reputation. Hugh was Captain Chromium, the fearless invincible leader of a group of prodigies who they could trust. Tamaya, Thunderbird, who swooped out of the sky and carried criminals away before they knew what hit them. Georgia, Lady Indomitable, who rescued kids out of trees and also stopped bank robberies before they got going. Kasumi, Tsunami, who could put out fires in an instant. Evander, Blacklight, who could blind a criminal with light or plunge them into almost physical darkness to stop them in their tracks. And Simon, the Dread Warden, who could appear out of nowhere and disappear to the same, so you never knew when he was going to pop up.

People trusted them. When they were out, people found them and asked for help. To protect their families from the gangs that were a constant threat. To find them medicine that they needed to save a sick family member. To fight for them against prodigies when they didn’t have any powers to defend themselves with.

So it felt like they were always busy. The Renegades had developed a careful routine of going in and coming out of Simon’s basement. Sometimes it felt like they went weeks without actually saying a word to each other.

Simon passed Kasumi and Tamaya going out the door while he and Georgia came in. They smiled slightly at each other, then the door closed and Georgia collapsed onto the upstairs couch and Simon collapsed in bed. Then Simon and Tamaya left while Hugh and Evander got back, and the door closed with barely enough time for a wave. It was long days and long nights spent in pairs, and anyone he wasn’t paired with, Simon felt like he barely saw.

But tonight, for the first time in what had definitely been months but felt like years, Simon and Hugh were a pair. They were going out all day tomorrow, and that meant they were home all night.

Sitting on the ratty green couch that definitely needed to be replaced, watching TV. Not the news, because the news hardly functioned as anything other than a gang radio anymore, but some silly children’s show that had waves of static going across it and audio that faded in and out, like it was being broadcast from a low antenna on somebody’s roof.

But it was something. It was a little bit dumb, and they were years too old for it, but it was mind-numbing in exactly the kind of way they needed. Sing-songy rhymes and colorful characters telling jokes and pausing for the audience to laugh at them.

“This is...really stupid,” Hugh commented a few episodes in. He was reclined almost all the way down, his legs extended out in front of him and his chin almost on his chest from how he was folding in on himself.

“It is,” Simon agreed, pulling his own feet under him. “Just what we needed.”

Hugh laughed.

“You’re right. It’s perfect.”

After a few more episodes, Hugh seemed to finally get uncomfortable with how he was sitting, and he shifted up so he was actually on the couch again, plopping his feet in Simon’s lap and leaning back against the armrest.

Simon watched him start to fall asleep, the same he had since they were kids. First, his eyes started to drift shut and pop open, over and over again. His chin dipped down to his chest but his head snapped up as soon as it made contact. He snored a little bit, and drool dripped down onto his chest slowly.

A little bit gross, very human, and very cute. It was exactly the same as it had been since they were kids, so long ago now, sitting on this same couch watching the news while Hugh tried to convince Simon to do something.

Their superhero personas couldn’t be more different than who they were right now. The Dread Warden was confident and quick to act, always had something to say. He wasn’t Simon, who had grown from a gangly, awkward teenager into a tall, anxious man.

And Captain Chromium wasn’t the kind of person who would drool or snore or laugh at fart jokes in a cartoon. He was tough and brave and unshakeable, constantly aware of everything around him.

But Hugh was sweet and kind and goofy and currently not noticing while Simon tried to see how many pillows he could pick up off the floor and pile on his chest without him waking up.

They were really good at putting on a superhero face and being the characters people trusted when they were outside. But here, on the couch in Simon’s basement where everything had started, they were still the same people they had been before.

Kids in an upside down world who wanted everything to be okay again.

“Why?” Hugh said, opening his eyes to see the pile of fourteen pillows Simon had managed to balance on him.

“New record.” Simon grinned at him. “I beat Evander’s best.”

“How often do you pile pillows on me?”

“Every time you fall asleep on the couch. You usually don’t wake up.”

“Obviously.” Hugh pushed the pillows off him and threw one at Simon, laughing. “Jackass.”

“And proud of it.”

Hugh sat up and stretched. 

“What was Evander’s record?”

“Twelve, and then the pile fell. I just got fourteen.”

“Why do we have so many pillows?”

“I’m pretty sure everyone brought every pillow in their house and just left them down here in case they wanted to sleep.”

“That’s so many pillows.” Hugh kicked the ones by his feet away and stood up. “We should go to bed, Si.”

“Yeah, probably.” Simon stood up and promptly tripped on absolutely nothing, crashing into Hugh’s arms.

“Nice one, ballerina.”

“Shut up.” Simon flushed and pushed against Hugh’s chest, half-heartedly trying to get out of his arms.

Hugh laughed and hugged him close, slightly tighter than necessary like he wanted to show off how strong he was.

“Never. You’re so fun to make fun of.”

“You’re the worst,” Simon said, managing to wiggle free and pushing his hair out of his eyes.

“But you love me.” Hugh tilted his head and gave a brilliant smile much more fitting to Captain Chromium than Hugh Everhart.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I am.” Hugh’s smile softened into his real one and he threw an arm around Simon’s shoulder as they started to walk towards the stairs.

It was a perfect moment, and Simon came so close to saying, yeah, I do love you and kissing Hugh on the cheek when they got to the top of the stairs.

It almost felt like that’s what he was supposed to do, or even what Hugh was about to do, but instead, it went like it always did.

They got to the top of the stairs, paused for a second, smiled, and headed off towards their rooms without saying another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I thought I didn't know what to write for this but then I guess I did sjgkjgdkjgakjgdkj so here's a chapter and I'm working on the last one!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's commented so far, it's so nice to hear feedback and reactions and such! Feel free to come hang out on Tumblr @enby-crutchie !


	6. Chapter 6

They shouldn’t have decided to do it.

They’d done similar things before. Some of the gangs had stock houses full of food and supplies they kept away from people outside the gangs. It had always been simple. Go in, take out the gang members inside, get the warehouse secured and start passing out the supplies they saved from inside.

It took the whole team and was more dangerous than some of the other things they did, but it was doable.

This wasn’t even a warehouse, it was what was left of an office building that had had the top few floors taken off by Ace Anarchy himself during his initial takeover of Gatlon city. Now the building was protected from the elements with layers of flying tarps and layer of plastic. The jagged edges and rebar of the slanted destruction of the top of the building poked through the coverings, cracks ran down through the walls like it was on the verge of collapse, and there didn’t seem to be working electricity inside at all.

And the Renegades were determined to get all the food and medicine inside outside and given to the people who needed it.

Simon was in the basement. He couldn’t hear what was going on above him clearly, couldn’t even really recognize what voices were shouting let alone what they were saying, but there was nobody down there with him. Other than the muffled fighting noises come from above him, it was quiet.

He was surrounded by shelves and shelves of food. Bread and cereal and rice and so many cans of everything he could ever imagine that he hadn’t gotten to eat in years. Peaches and pineapple and that gooey fake cheese that made everything taste like nachos and cranberry sauce and all kinds of things that made his mouth water.

But they weren’t for him. The cans were going to be for the people starving because of the chokehold the gangs and especially the Anarchists had on every aspect of life. People who refused to give in to the demands of the gangs and suffered for it.

A door slammed, and footsteps pounded down the stairs. Simon vanished as two gang members came down the stairs, shouting at each other and splitting off into different aisles of food.

“One of those bastards can turn invisible. If you hear something, shoot it.”

Simon felt his blood run cold at that.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t been threatened before. He had, they all had, plenty of times. More times than he could count.

Just not like that. Not in an abstract way, when they didn’t know he could hear them, when he had seen the guns they were holding, automatics that could spray the room with bullets in less time that it would take Simon to duck.

This wasn’t ordinary danger like he was used to. This was real, life-threatening, he-could-be-dead-in-two-minutes danger. He wouldn’t be getting the chance to fight, or surrender, or run.

If he made a noise, he was dead.

He held his breath and pressed into the corner he was closest to, straining to hear the men in the basement with him and to figure out what was going on above him.

“Nobody’s down here,” one of the voices called from the other side of the basement.

“They said they saw the little shit come down here; he’s invisible now.”

Simon closed his eyes and prayed to whatever god or gods might be listening that they wouldn’t see or hear him, that he’d survive to see his friends again, that everything would be okay.

And then the loudest noise Simon had ever heard cracked out from above him. Like a gunshot but ten times as loud, a cannon blast but more high pitched, immediately followed by a ringing, thunderous noise.

“It’s coming down!”

That’s was Hugh’s voice, the first clear sound from upstairs Simon had heard since he'd entered the basement.

Simon forced his eyes open and looked up to see a crack forming in the ceiling above him.

It’s coming down.

The building was coming down.

The building was coming down and Simon in the basement with two men who would shoot at any noise he made.

He was going to die.

He was going to die in the basement of a crumbling office building without any of his friends around him and it was either going to be by getting shot or getting crushed and he could feel himself spiraling into an anxiety attack which could not happen, it could not happen, he hyperventilated when he had anxiety attacks and they’d hear him and they’d hear him and they’d shoot him and and and and and and and and and and and and-

He forced his eyes closed again and focused on keeping his breathing from getting too loud but he could feel himself breathing harder and harder and he knew they’d hear him soon.

There was another cracking noise from above him and he dropped to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest and squeezing his entire body in on itself as tight as he could.

He was going to die he was going to die he was going to die-

His brain repeated it over and over again like an error message he couldn’t x out of.

He vaguely remembered advice for surviving an earthquake. To get to clear ground, to get outside, but if you couldn’t to stay in a doorway, don’t leave the basement if you’re already there but don’t hide there, find a wall that wouldn’t collapse, a thick, strong wall, and he was pressed into a corner against two cement walls.

Another crack and all coherent thought seemed to fly out of the window while his anxiety amped up worse than it had in years.

He was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die-

The noise he’d thought was the loudest thing he’d ever heard rang out again, and then an even louder noise. More shouts from upstairs, and a quick back and forth between the two men in the basement. The words couldn’t get through his scrambled bain, all he could think was how close he was to dying and barely focus on the world around him.

And then a crescendo. A fantastic, deafening, violent, thundering crash. Dust filled the air and Simon was grateful that his power didn’t leave an imprint in the air or in water. They couldn’t see him, and it was so loud they couldn’t hear the gasping sobs he had no control over at this point.

So it was going to be getting crushed by a falling building. Slight better, but he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die and he hadn’t told anyone everything he wanted to tell people like Hugh how he felt or Tamaya that it was him who stole her grape jelly he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die-

The shelf in front of him fell and he didn’t even know it until he heard the heavy metal back clang against the cement.

The dust thickened until he was choking on it, crying and choking and he couldn’t breathe and he was going to die he was going to die he was going to die and something clanged into the shelf, something big, and something else, and the noise was so loud and he couldn’t breath and he couldn’t stop crying and he couldn’t see and and and and and and and and and and and and and and-

And it slowed down. Not his brain, he was struggling to get his anxiety under control, but the noise slowed down. The dust started to settle in the eerie silence left behind from the crumbling building, and he could see again, blurrily through his still streaming tears, but he could see how buckled and dented the shelf was.

But he was alive.

He wasn’t dead.

“Shoot the whole damn place. That invisible bastard might still be alive down here somewhere.”

And neither were they. Neither were the men with the big guns who had been down in the basement with him.

People were shouting upstairs, outside now, not really upstairs, it hadn’t really sounded like much of the building at all could have survived that, especially not if the shelf had been hit with falling debris, but he couldn’t hear anything or tell what they were saying.

And the guns started going off.

Not the bang, bang, bang he was used to in the random bursts of gunfire that were common enough they were, frighteningly, almost normal.

Sprays of automatic bullets hitting the ground and debris and Simon couldn’t see from his little corner under the shelf that was barely big enough for him curled in a ball like he was but pebbles sprayed up and dinged against the shelf, dust kicked up again, and Simon had to shove a fist in his mouth to keep from choking on his own tears again.

He had to stay silent, had to be quiet, had to avoid being caught, he could survive this. He could survive this.

He _would_ survive this.

“If he was alive, he’s not anymore.”

“Then let’s get outta here before _they_ come looking for him.” 

Simon listened to them clamber away, falling pebbles and grunts of effort painting an ever clearer picture of how lucky he was to have survived.

He was shaking, still crying, and terrified to move. Not when they could still be here somewhere. Not when he couldn’t hear anyone anywhere. He didn’t know where his friends were, his team, he didn’t know if any of the gang was still around.

He didn’t know who had survived.

He wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to wiggle out from behind the shelf.

So he stayed. After stars knew how long, the tears finally stopped streaking down his face. He was still shaking, and he couldn’t force his breathing to even out, but at least he wasn’t crying anymore.

And he was still invisible. He couldn’t make himself come back.

But it had been a long time. Nothing outside was moving, and staying curled in a ball under a shelf forever wasn’t really an option. So he started to work his way through the space between the shelf and the wall, eventually getting himself up out of his hidey-hole and into the ruins of the basement.

Pieces of wall were still standing around him. He’d picked a good side to hide under, and it looked like the men with guns must have been hiding pretty close by, since every other wall was strewn in pieces.

Everywhere.

So much destruction. The entire building, reduced years ago down to three stories that were now thrown around the streets in pieces, some as small pebbles and others much larger than Simon. It was a miracle he’d survived that collapse.

Seeing the damage made him shake even worse, like he was on the edge of slipping back into the full-blown panic attack he’d been in for the last couple hours.

The building was only a few blocks away from his house. Maybe a twenty-minute walk in the dark. When he was far enough away, he started trying to spark himself back to visibility.

He couldn’t make it work. He couldn’t get that sparks running up and down his spine to focus into control over his powers, so he was still invisible when he pulled the door to the house open and started down the stairs to the basement.

“Who’s there?” Hugh was sitting at the wobbly table, lifting his head from his hands when he heard the door at the top of the stairs open. His eyes were red like he was either exhausted beyond belief or had been crying or both, and he was already reaching for the pike leaned against his chair.

“It’s me, it’s me, Hugh, it’s me,” Simon said, voice shaking in some combination of relief to be _home_ and the still-rising panic he was having trouble fighting.

“Simon!” Hugh was almost instantly crushing Simon in a hug, somehow knowing exactly where he was even though he was still invisible. “Oh, Simon, Simon, Simon.”

Simon relaxed into Hugh's arms, tears starting again but completely out of relief and exhaustion this time.

“Are you okay?” Hugh whispered into Simon’s hair, hugging him so tight it almost hurt.

Simon nodded against Hugh’s chest and pressed even closer.

“We...we thought you didn’t get out.”

“Didn’t,” Simon whispered. “I was in the basement.”

Hugh inhaled sharply.

“Are you hurt?”

“No. A shelf fell and...and it held. I’m...I’m fine.”

“You’re shaking, Simon-”

“Panic attack,” Simon said simply.

Hugh had seen enough of those to know what Simon needed. Quiet, and rest, and a chance to recover without feeling like the whole world was watching.

Hugh scooped Simon up under his knees and started up the stairs, turning towards Simon’s room at the top. He gently put Simon in bed and turned to leave.

“Please stay,” Simon said, and Hugh paused. “I...please?”

“Of course, Si.” Hugh slipped into the bed next to Simon and pulled the blankets over them.

Simon pressed as close to Hugh’s side as he could get, wanting and maybe needing the steadying presence until Hugh finally tugged Simon so his head was resting on Hugh’s chest and he was securely wrapped in Hugh’s arms.

He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, but eventually, his breathing evened out and he stopped shaking.

He woke up when the room was full of sunlight, still feel exhausted but definitely better, and back to full visibility.

“Morning, Si,” Hugh said softly when Simon opened his eyes.

“Morning.” Simon was still on top of Hugh, head on his chest and Hugh’s arms around him.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

Hugh kissed Simon’s hair and hugged him tighter.

“We thought you died,” he said quietly. “Everyone else got out before it finished collapsing but we couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“I went downstairs to see what was down there and two of them followed me. They had guns, Hugh, and they said they were going to shoot at any noise because they knew I could turn invisible.” Simon shuddered, the gunshots seeming to echo in his head. “I couldn’t get past them before it fell.”

“Oh, Simon.”

“I’m fine, Hugh. I got out.” Simon closed his eyes again and snuggled deeper into Hugh’s arms. “Just tired. Nothing like an anxiety attack to wear you out.” Hugh laughed a little bit, shaking Simon as his chest moved, making Simon laugh.

“I’m glad you find it funny.”

“Hey, there’s nothing funnier than a near-death experience. That’s why cartoons are so violent.” Simon rolled so he could prop his head on his hands and see Hugh’s face. It certainly wasn’t the most comfortable position he’d ever been in, but he was warm and sleepy and cuddling with Hugh and honestly? He felt pretty good considering he’d almost died multiple times in the last twenty-four hours.

“Yeah, when it’s happening to cartoons that bounce back. I’d miss you a hell of a lot more than Wile E. Coyote.”

“Good to know.” Simon smiled up at Hugh, who went almost cross-eyed trying to focus on Simon’s face. “I love you, Hugh.”

Simon had imagined saying that a million times. Maybe in the middle of a fight, sealed with a kiss, or in a quiet heartfelt moment spent alone together in the basement.

Never so casually, like he’d said it a million times before. Never after almost dying and falling asleep on top of Hugh in the middle of a panic attack and spitting it out after a bad joke because he just couldn’t keep it in anymore.

“I love you, too.” Hugh smiled and brushed his hand against Simon’s cheek like he was brushing away a stray hair. Or possibly the dust and dirt Simon was still covered in.

Well.

He’d started this.

And realized when he thought he was going to die that he regretted not telling Hugh before he died.

And there was really no telling when the next near-death experience would come, so what better time than the present to finally tell his best friend that he was in love him?

“Hugh, I really love you.” Simon looked down at his own hands, trying to find all the words he wanted to say.

“I really love you, too, Si.”

“I’m in love with you,” Simon said simply, glancing back up at Hugh’s face before burying his face in his hands, blushing furiously and ready to spend the rest of his life hiding from Hugh.

Oh, this was so uncomfortable, he should have just left it at the passably platonic “I love you” Hugh had taken in stride and not tried to make this something more.

“Yeah?” Hugh whispered, not moving at all.

Simon nodded, feeling his face heat up more than he could really remember it doing ever without turning invisible, but he could still see his hands.

Hugh hugged him tightly again, and when Simon made himself look up again he was smiling his real, soft, Hugh Everhart smile, looking up at the ceiling.

“I...I wished I already told you. When the building was falling.”

“I love you too, Simon.” Hugh was still talking at a whisper. “So much.”

Simon pushed himself up so he could really see Hugh’s face, something warm and very happy starting to bloom in his chest.

“Yeah?” It was his turn to ask this time, and Hugh’s turn to nod, his smile growing and Simon’s starting.

Hugh reached up to touch Simon’s face again, definitely brushing something away but also with the same look on his face Simon could feel mirrored on his own.

Like he didn’t want to look away and didn’t want the moment to shift at all but at the same time couldn’t wait to see where this was going.

Simon broke it first, laughing and flopping down on top of Hugh, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing as tight as he could. Hugh hugged him back, also laughing, and suddenly the sweet, quiet awkwardness that had filled the room was replaced with all the comfortable ease they normally had around each other, just with some extra layer of everything Simon had felt for years and hadn’t wanted to act on.

“You know I didn’t realize I liked you romantically until we met everyone else because I hadn’t had any other friends in so long I thought I was just really invested in our friendship?” Hugh laughed at himself.

Somehow, even though it had literally been a minute, this was already so comfortable. It felt so natural, probably because this was Hugh, who had been his best friend since they were ten. Even when they’d just shifted their relationship to something completely new and different. It was easy to laugh with Hugh, to bury his head in Hugh’s neck and laugh at the fact that apparently, Evander had been right every time he told Simon Hugh shared his feelings and Simon should have just told him ages ago.

“Simon?” Hugh said after a couple of minutes of quiet. “We should go find everyone else who thinks your dead.”

“I forgot about that.” Simon lifted his head off Hugh’s shoulder and grinned. “I should surprise them. Pop out of nowhere and pretend to be a ghost.”

“Or you could be nice and let them know you survived.” Hugh sat up, taking Simon with him, and kissed Simon’s cheek.

“I guess I could do that.”

“And you know they’re gonna give us hell when they figure out we’re...dating?”

“Boyfriends.” Simon smiled around the word. “Vee is gonna be awful.”

“But you know what?”

“What?”

“I think a little teasing is more than worth it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmm 'tis midnight on a school night and I stayed up to write this. it's like three times longer than every other chapter too jgkjagkdgk.
> 
> Anyway that's the end of this one! thanks to everyone who's commented, everything you wrote was so fun to read and please keep commenting, I love nothing more than those emails bc I thrive on feedback lmao
> 
> Also please come hang out on Tumblr, @enby-crutchie, where I'm trying so hard to be part of the Renegades fandom!

**Author's Note:**

> God I love writing different versions of this love story sorry I adore Hugh and Simon.
> 
> I'm Asper, I'm big gay, and I run a [Tumblr](http://enby-crutchie.tumblr.com/)! Come chat with me! Also I'm just informing you that I like the line "A golden boy in an iron world" and it's a good line. Thank you.
> 
> Feel free and encouraged to leave a comment! They fuel me! Feed me! Give me power!


End file.
